I guess it was inevitable, but a court in California has determined that the most basic function of parenting, ie educating your children, requires a license from the state. If you don't have such a license, you have to turn your kids over to the state to educate them for you (via Overlawyered)

Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at
home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves
of fear through California's home schooling families....

"Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their
children," wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed
by the two other members of the district court. "Parents who fail to
[comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal
complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to
imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and
counseling program."

Whoa! No Constitutional right to educate our kids how we see fit? With an imminent government takeover of our kids' eating habits as well, that will leave exactly what parental duties to parents?

Of course we are just concerned about the well-being of the children. Of course it has nothing to do with unionized teachers protecting their turf. Or not:

Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal.
A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees
with the ruling.

"What's best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher," he said.

Update: It is being argued that this is actually more narrow than it first appears. The current debate seems to come down to whether the judge is an idiot and the decision is overly broad or whether the judge is an idiot and the decision is narrow.

"With an imminent government takeover of our kids' eating habits as well, that will leave exactly what parental duties to parents?"

Well, you get to pay. Of course, there will be extra administrative costs inherent in the government raising your kids, but you won't mind if we just mediate that through the IRS, will you? Because our studies have shown that it's really much more efficient this way...

Kelly

"What's best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher."

Oh, really? Whenever I hear or read such statements from the public school monopoly, I have to laugh (or cry). Where is the evidence? If public school teachers were held to even the slightest level of accountability (measured outcome), it would reveal monumental failure. The public school system especially in California, succeeds at nothing, save for producing record numbers of illiterate valedictorians.

morganovich

another great tidbit from the ruling:

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.

am I the only one to whom this sounds like fascist indoctrination? this sure as hell is not what I think education is for.

telling an interested and well intentioned parent that he/she needs an explicit constitutional right to make an educational choice for their child is the slipperiest of slopes. what might they not be fit to decide tomorrow?

this is unreal. the reasoning in this case is so deeply flawed as to be terrifying.

morganovich

another great tidbit from the ruling:

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.

am I the only one to whom this sounds like fascist indoctrination? this sure as hell is not what I think education is for.

telling an interested and well intentioned parent that he/she needs an explicit constitutional right to make an educational choice for their child is the slipperiest of slopes. what might they not be fit to decide tomorrow?

this is unreal. the reasoning in this case is so deeply flawed as to be terrifying.

Fortunately, for those of us who give a rip, the "establishment" will betray its intents every now and then, and give us a window into their true intentions.

Unfortunately, there are too few of "us" . . .

And way too many of the establishment, and those who support it, to nurture any sense of hope or deliverance. Don't know if Beck has put it this way, but . . . the game is over--the final score of the rout is all we await.

http://comuse.blogspot.com Allen

Now why would anyone want to move out of California?

TC

Some years ago there was a guy named Swap that was murdered by State police for having such a belief that he could educate his own.

Some years later another confrontation with the same family resulted in the death of a cop at the hands of a 14 yr old, protecting his home from police invaders. Oh and as a side the state built a training facility in his honor, the dead cops of course. House I think was his name. (he was not a bad cop, but ordered into a situation that cost him his life).

"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,
but too early to shoot the bastards."

Is it?

http://jeffreyellis.org/blog/ Jeffrey Ellis

This kind of governmental arrogance will only contribute further to the mass exodus that parts of CA are already experiencing.

Practical_Econ

Really? I have a relative who home schooled her children. I don't think her 19 year old daughter can read much of anything. Her son.... going to a community college and interacting with "real" people for the first time in his life. Public school is a good thing. Maybe not for Princeton folks, but for most of us. I think if you are going to home school your children you should prove that you can do it or be arrested for truancy.